RAF Local Residents
From Lacey Green History
Exhibition research by Joan West
The Royal Air Force was formed from the Royal Flying Corps in 1918. Several men who trained in those early days had homes here during WW2, by then high ranking officers.
A full history of each was given at an exhibition by The Local History Group in 2018 giving photographs, details of their lifetime careers, their honours and awards, families and their association here with other details such as the planes they flew.
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Clive Adams RAF. Owned 'Summer Hayes', Main Road, Lacey Green in the 1930s and 1940s.
The Background.
Imperial Airlines was formed in 1924 at the request and support of the government by merging 3 airlines. The brief was to establish flying routes worldwide to transport mail, facilitate settlement, contact and trade around the Empire, being faster than the slow shipping routes then used. Based at Croydon Airport, south of London, local services were discontinued. Alan Cobham researched routes to South Africa, Australia and India, for which he was knighted. It merged with BOAC in 1939.
All airlines were nationalized during WW2, run by RAF.
1939 August, Clive Adams was asked to survey Poole Harbour as a possible wartime base for Imperial Airways.
1942 RAF took over Poole Harbour Airport, renaming it RAF Hamworth
Researcher’s Note By 1941 the established route to India and the Far East had become unusable because of the war, but bases in India were in urgent need of supplies in the fight against Japan.
1941 Clive Adams was flown out to Salala, Southern Saudi Arabia, in charge of a party to develop a new route. The terrain was difficult, but in October a tented camp was set up in a coconut grove on the beach. A kitchen and bathroom was built out of palm leaves and the first radio station was installed in a tent. The completed route was opened up in 1942. It was one of the most difficult routes in the world to organize on the ground.
Researcher’s Note. Throughout WW2, the RAF, TATA,(Indian Airlines) and CNAC, (Chinese Airlines) worked this route. They were involved in its development, carried the vital supplies and rescued refugees from Burma. TATA serviced RAF planes and equipment. After the fall of Burma CNAC based its headquarters in India for the remainder of the war. NOTE. This Information is taken from “Merchant Airmen”, by the Air Ministry. Account of British Civil Aviation, 1939-44.
Clive Adams also worked in America or Canada for 2 years, most likely in a similar position, letting ‘Summer Hayes’ to a Russian woman and her daughter Natasha, while he was away.
Post WW2
After the war he returned to BOAC, with which Imperial Airways had been merged. (The government did not want competition between airlines on these worldwide routes).
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Graham Baker National Service In 1950
Pre Call Up
Graham Baker was the son of Fred and Connie Baker of The Foundry, Loosley Row.
Graham aged 15, was apprenticed at Wycombe Foundry for 5 years with the theory part done at Wycombe Technical College, London Road. He cycled there daily
National Service
In 1956, Graham was called up for 2 years National Service in the RAF. Research Note Apprentices were deferred until their training was complete.
Graham, now aged 21-23, found younger men were giving him orders. This he did not appreciate and disliked his years in National Service. He was stationed at Lyneham.
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Air Commodore Robert "Bob" Barcelon. Lived at "Byways", Goodacres Lane, then "Windyridge", Main Road, Lacey Green.
Service Career
1952 Joined RAF, Cranwell. Attained the rank of Senior Flight Cadet. 1955 Appointed to a permanent Commission.
1957-58. Pilot. no 111 Squadron, flying Hunter F6
Research Note. Bob Barcelon was one of the pilots who performed at Farnborough Air Show in 1958 with the “Black Arrows”, (the forerunner of the Red Arrows). On that occasion a formation of 22 Hunter Aircraft completed a loop-the -loop. a feat never since been accomplished. Bob flew in the central position, exactly behind the leader. (See photo). The previous year he had prevented a disaster. Just as the team had started their display, he spotted an ‘Auster’ in their flight path. He called a warning over the radio, causing them to carry out an impromptu bomb burst (Split off out of the formation).
1972 Attended no 2 course, National Defence College.
Flight Commander
1974 Officer Commanding no 2 Squadron.
1974-76 Dec. Officer Commanding no 19 Squadron RAF Gutersloh, Germany, providing Lightning F2A aircraft on Quick Response Alert. Research note. The squadron moved at the end of 1976, presenting Bob Barcelon with a silver goblet.
Wing Commander.
1977 HQ Strike Command, Walters Ash, Tactical Evaluation.
Research Note. 1977 Bob, with wife Jackie and daughters, Nicola and Ray Louise, rented ‘Byways’ Goodacres Lane, Lacey Green. Later purchasing ‘Windyridge’, Main Road, Lacey Green.
1979 Air Attache, Stockholm, Sweden. (Research note. An Air Attache is part of a diplomatic mission in a foreign country, representing the chief of his own home air force).
1982 Officer Commanding, RAF Binbrook.
1985 Ministry of Defence, London, Staff Officer.
Air Commodore
1985 HQ Strike Command, Walters Ash, Operations/Air Defence.
1986/7 Retired from RAF
Post RAF
research note. In his ‘retirement’ Bob worked for the RAF Benevolent Fund in London for approximately 10 years. He enjoyed painting both in oil and watercolour and exhibited his paintings in local art shows. He also enjoyed golf at Ellesborough Golf Club.
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Wing Commander Sir Geoffrey Hirst Bateman Lived at Grymsdyke, Main Road, Lacey Green, following WW2.
Pre WW2
Geoffrey Bateman was a distinguished ENT (ear, nose and throat) surgeon at St. Thomas's Hospital, London.
He married Margaret Turner in 1931. They went on to have 3 sons, Christopher, Robert and Nigel and 1 daughter Susan.
By 1939 he had been appointed onto the Consultative Staff of St. Thomas's.
RAF Service Career
Pre 1939 he was on the RAF Military Reserve, therefore in 1939 he was called for Active Service.
He became promoted to Wing Commander.
Post WW2
Geoffrey Bateman returned to St. Thomas's, where the experience gained in organising and improvisation during his service years was invaluable as he worked to improve the service and training at the hospital. He acquired a considerable reputation in his field and his department became renowned for its training.
1959-1964. Hon. Secretary of the Council of Otolaryngology. becoming President in 1970-1971
1961-1978. Editor of the Journal of Laryngology
1966-1971. Consultant Advisor to the Department of Health and the Army
His administrative experience during the war stood him in good stead as a Member of St. Thomas's Rebuilding Committee.
He performed the "Topping Out" ceremony in 1971.
He retired in 1971.
He was knighted in 1972 for his services to St. Thomas's and Laryngology.
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RAF Sergeant Reginald "Reg" Charles Bolt. Retired to Foundry Lane, Loosley Row.
Service Career
In 1939 Reg enlisted in the RAF at Cardinton, Lincolnshire, aged 18. Research Note His widow revealed that he had been about to go to university, but enlisted so that he could choose which service to join. She also said that he did not want to become an officer, preferring to be “Hands-on”.
1939 Basic Training then Special Training in Radar.
WW2 Electrical Airborne Radar (in aircraft) with postings around the Mediterranean.
Post war University, graduating in Engineering.
In 1953 Reg married Joan Day. They lived in Bromley, Kent,
2003 Reg retired and they moved to Loosley Row.
Research Note. Finding out about Reg Bolt's RAF career was virtually Impossible. Both his widow and his RAF friends could only say that everything he did was utmost secret and he never talked about it.
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Wing Commander Peter Bowen. Lived in Bradenham Beeches, an area just in Lacey Green parish, adjacent to Bomber Command.
Service Career
1964. Joined RAF
1965. Acting Pilot Officer
1965-76 Flying Officer, flying “Lightnings”.
1976-78 RAF Lossiemuth. An Airborne Early Warning Station, flying Avro Shackeleton AEW 2s aircraft.
1978 RAF Swinderby. training. In Dec. 1978, no. 48 Squadron RAF Regiment (non-flying defence unit) also took up residence, equipped with Rapier Surface-to-Air Missiles
1978-79 Kaduna, Nigeria. A team from RAF in UK were sent to help set up an officers training centre for the Nigerian Air Force.
1980-82 RAF Boulmer, nr. Alnwick. Using advanced radar, fighter controllers were routinely detecting Soviet aircraft and scrambling Quick Reaction Alert aircraft to intercept them. The base was also a search and rescue station.
1982-85 RAF High Wycombe at Walters Ash
1985-86 RAF Station Commander, Support and Training Command, Brampton. Researcher’s note. In October 1985 the large, headquarters building was burnt out. Contingencies were implemented, staff being moved into empty family quarters. The rebuilding, which cost 10 million to fix was under the control of the Commander-in-Chief of Support Command.
1986-89 RAF Brampton
1989-91 RAF Episkopi, Cyprus. The base was Joint Headquarters of Land Forces, Cyprus and Air Headquarters Middle East. Research note. Their main function being to protect and provide vital strategic communication facilities and also this important airspace.
1991-96 RAF Strike Command, Walters Ash.
1996 Retired
Award
1996 Awarded OBE for services to the RAF
Post Retirement Peter worked for the St. John's Ambulance.
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Wilfred Brown. Lived at The Crown, Church Lane, Lacey Green.
Wilf Brown was called up during WW2 into the RAF.
He spent most of the war in India.
He was taken ill when his body stopped sweating in the heat.
In order to save his life he was sent to high altitude Kashmir to recover.
Research Note. Barry Macey told me that Wilf always told what a beautiful place it was and that his recovery time was the best days of his life.
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Air Vice Marshall Leslie William Cannon . Retired to 'Cairndale, Main Road, Lacey Green.
Service Career
1920 Joined RAF, boy mechanic, no 2 Technical Training Cranwell
1932 Engineering Officer, RAF Cranwell
1932 Engineering Officer, HQ RAF India.
1935 Flight Commander, no 60 Squadron
1937 Officer Commanding, no 5 Squadron, Northwest Frontier, India.
1938 Admin/ Personnel Staff. HQ Training Command.
1939 Staff Directorate of Operations (Home).
1940 Wing Commander, Eng. Staff Officer, HQ Bomber Command
1941 Chief Technical Officer, HQ no 21 Group.
1942 Officer Commanding RAF Watton.
1943(Mar) Deputy S.A.S.O. HQ no 83 Composite Group
1943(Nov) Officer Commanding no 138 Wing
1943(Dec) SOA, HQ, no 2 Group
1944 AOA, HQ no 2 Group.
1946 Group Captain, AOC, no 2 Group
1948 Assistant Commandant, RAF Staff College, Andover
1949 Air Commodore, Director of Organisation (Establishment)
1951-55 Acting Air Vice Marshall, Commander-in-chief, Royal Pakistan Air Force (1953 made Air Vice Marshall)
1955 Director-General of Organisation.
He continued to fly on operations as Officer Commanding, Watton and AOA, no 2 Group with both the RAF and USAAF for which he was awarded the US Silver Star.
He represented the RAF in athletics, boxing and pistol shooting.
Retirement
Retiring from the RAF, he returned to the Indian sub-continent as Senior Representative of Rolls Royce Ltd.
Honours and Awards
He was the first apprentice to attain the rank of Air Vice Marshall
1952 made Companion of the Order of the Bath.
1945 made CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire)
Mentioned in despatches, Feb 1938, Sept. 1941, Jan. 1945, Jan 1946
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Harry Church BEM. Lived at "Linden Lea", Westlands Road, Lacey Gree
Researcher’s note. Harry is almost certainly best known for his dedicated work for the villages, serving 28 years on the Parish Council and 25 years on High Wycombe Rural District Council.
WW2 Career
1939 Joined the Air Ministry staff at Bomber Command. Harry was not in the RAF
1939-1945 WW2 at Bomber Command, on 24 hours Call-out as Maintenance Engineer, throughout most of the war years. For his services he was Awarded the BEM (British Empire Medal).
Civilian Life
Harry came to Lacey Green when very young child, married Kathleen Brown in 1937, died, still in Lacey Green in 1980.
His great love as a young man was in MOTOR CYCLING, rallying and competitions, Captain of his Team in Bucks, Motor Cycling Club. He played football and cricket for Lacey Green.
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Bill Cleaver RAF Meteorologist. Lived Woodfield Road, Lacey Green
Group Captain Denis Croucher. Lived Main Road Lacey Green
Service Career
1941 Joined the RAF aged 17. Trained as a Navigator. Active service in the Far East, India and Burma
1947 Demobbed
Post WW2
1947 Joined BOAC
1948 Married Gwendoline Marshall at Chatham, Kent
1949 Re-joined the RAF
1970 Group Captain, Station Commander RAF Lynham
1973 He moved to Lacey Green with his wife and daughters Beverly and Rosalind.
1976 Retired
2012 moved to Cockermouth, Cumbria, to be near family, dying in Nov 2016
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Squadron Leader John Granville "Dixie" Dean 'Dixie' and Edith Dean moved to to 'Griston', Goodacres Lane, Lacey Green in 1976.
Service Career
1936 Joined RAF Trained as Electronics Engineer at RAF Halton
WW2. Postings around the Mediterranean
1949 Married Edith at Mansfield. (Edith was a nurse in London)
1953-55 RAF Base near Newark.
1956-59 RAF Binbrook, (bomber squadrons)
1959-61 Signals Officer RAF Jever, Germany. Researcher’s Note. It was at RAF Jever that 'Dixie' met Bob Barcelon, who also retired to Lacey Green.
1961-63 Signals Development Squadron, RAF Watton, Norfolk.
1963-65 RAF Wyton, Cambs. 51 Squadron. Researcher Note. It was only following the end of the Cold War that the signals intelligence role of the squadron was publicly recognized.
1965-68 RAF Watton, 360 Squadron, Joint Electronic Warfare Trials and Training Force.
1969-73 Strike Command, Walters Ash. Electronic Warfare. Research Note. During the years 1963- 73, Dixie’s work was top secret and he and Edith were restricted where they could travel for their own security. He was awarded the MBE for the work he did at this time.
Post Retirement from the RAF
John 'Dixie' Dean worked for Trend Communications, High Wycombe
He died in 1984 aged 61.
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Group Captain Donald Osborne Finlay retired in 1959 to 'Chippins' Main Road, Lacey Green.
Research Note. "Don" Finlay was best known to the public as an athlete. An all round athlete competing in long jump, shot put, and javelin, but best remembered as a hurdler. He competed in the Olympic Games in 1932, 1936 and 1948, when he was Captain of the British Team and chosen to take the "Olympic Oath". In 1934 he won gold at the Empire Games and competing in 1950 (aged 41) he still finished 5th.
Service Career
1935 Joined the RAF
1936 School of Aeronautical Engineering
1939 Commanding Officer RAF Hornchurch, (Battle of Britain, Spitfires)
Aug 1940 Shot down and wounded.
Sept 1940 Officer Commanding 41 Squadron
1941 Promoted Wing Commander, Engineering Officer 11 Group.
1942 Commander no 608 Squadron (Lockheed Hudsons in Middle-East).
Dec 1943 - July 1944 Group Captain, Senior Air Staff Office, 210 Group.
1945 Office Commanding 906 Wing in Burma.
Post War
Senior Technical Training Officer, Halton.
1959 Retired
Honours and Awards
June 1942 Distinguished Flying Cross. His victory tally flying fighters was 4, with 2 shared, destroyed, 3, with 1 shared, damaged.
Sept 1944 Air Force Cross
Research Note
A Motor Accident in 1966 left Don confined to a wheelchair. He could not accept this new situation. He died in 1970.
Memorials
A stained glass window in RAF Acklington Chapel
A replica Tornado at RAF Coningsby.
A replica Spitfire at Entrance to RAF High Wycombe at Walters Ash (Bomber Command) The Gymnasium, RAF Halton.
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William Bernard Frederick. Circa 1938/9, he and his wife, Laura Matilda Frederick moved to the newly built house on Main Road in Lacey Green, which they named “Mandara”, a Hindu word meaning “Lantern of Peace”
Service Record
1917 Joined the Royal Flying Corps, which became the Royal Air Force in 1918
1919 Pilot Officer
Retired from the RAF late 1930s
At the outbreak of WW2 in 1939 William Bernard Frederick, RAF retired, was granted a Commission in the RAF, Class CC as Flight Lieutenant.
He died in 1941 aged 54. His name is on the WW2 War Memorial in St. John's Church, Lacey Green.
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Air Chief Marshall Arthur Harris, 1st Baronet. Stationed at Bomber Command, Walters Ash, WW2.
Researcher’s note. Born 1892, being inspired by stories of Southern Rhodesia, he ducked out of boarding school aged 17 and in 1910 emigrated to Umtali, South Rhodesia, eventually establishing his own farm. Being in the bush at the time, he only learned about WW1 a month after it was declared.
Service Career
1914 Harris joined the 1st Rhodesian Army Regiment serving with South African forces in South West Africa, where Germany was inflecting heavy bombing.
1915 sailed for England with 300 South African volunteers.
He applied for the Cavalry and Royal Artillery with no luck.
Nov 1915 accepted for the Royal Flying Corps. After learning to fly he was a second lieutenant.
1917 Flight Commander on the home front and in France.
Nov. 1918. Awarded the Air Force Cross for Distinguished service.
Post WW1
Having married in 1916 to Barbara Money and now with a child, Harris, although he now thought of himself as a Rhodesian, decided to stay in England and remained in the newly formed RAF.
1920 Commander RAF Digby No.3 Flying Training School, followed by North West Frontier troubles in India and bombing uprisings in Mesopotamia, (under British occupation) and Persia.
May 1922 He offered his resignation, wanting to go back to Rhodesia, but was persuaded to stay.
1923. He helped devise Area Bombing in Iraq
1924. Air Commanding, first post-war Heavy Bombing Squadron, No 58, developing Night Training.
June 1927 Awarded OBE (order of the British Empire)
July 1927 promoted Wing Commander of a Flying-Boat Squadron, also developing Night Flying Operation Techniques.
June 1933 promoted to Group Captain
1934-1937 Deputy Director of Plans in the Air Ministry, with postings to Middle-East Command, Egypt as Senior Staff Officer.
Also in 1936, he helped Southern Rhodesia set up its own Air Force.
July 1937 Promoted to Air Commodore.
1938 Air Commanding no.4 Bomber Group. He went on a purchasing mission in the USA. Then Officer Commanding the RAF in Palestine and Trans-Jourdan
July 1939 Promoted to Air Vice Marshall and with others pressured for Large Strategic Bombers
WW2
Sept 1939 Command No 5 Group
Nov 1940 Deputy Chief Air of Staff
Feb 1942 Appointed Commander-in-Chief of Bomber Command
June 1942 Appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
1942 The War Cabinet passed "The Area Bombing Directive" which advocated the area bombing of German cities. Harris was directed to carry out this task. It became an important part of the total war waged against Germany
Maybe because it was not wholly endorsed by all in Government, including Churchill, who considered the policy distasteful, it appears that the general public were not told the full extent of the targets and official statements maintained they were only industrial and economic with civilian casualties being unintentional but unavoidable. Harris urged the Government to be more honest with the public, although he himself did believe in the area bombing policy.
Aug 1944 Promoted to Air Chief Marshall
Awards
Feb 1944 Awarded the Russian Order of Surorov, First Class
Jan 1945 Awarded the American Legion of Merit
Jun 1945 Awarded the Polish Order of Polonia Restituta, First Class
Jun 1945 Advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Nov 1945 Appointed Knight Grand Cross, Southern Cross of Brazil
Jun 1946 Awarded the Distinguished Service Medal by the USA
Retired September 1946
Bomber Command's crews were eligible for the Air Crew Europe Star, France Star and German Star, but because the late bombing of Dresden was considered by many to have been unnecessary, they were denied a separate Campaign Medal.
Harris refused a peerage in 1946 in protest to this snub to his men.
He was the sole Commander-in-Chief not to become a peer.
Post WW2
1948 Harris moved to South Africa to manage the South African Marine Corporation from 1946 to 1953. In 1953 He returned to live in England.
Feb 1953 Winston Churchill, once again Prime Minister, insisted that Arthur Harris accept a Baronetcy.
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1st Officer ATA Amy Johnson, CBE. 1937-38 lived at “Monks Staithe", Church Lane, Princes Risborough.
(Researcher’s note. The only excuse for including Amy Johnson in this local exhibition is that she liked to ride up to Woodbine Farm, Lacey Green to get milk).
Pre WW2
Born in Yorkshire, with a BA at Sheffield University, she started work in London.
She took up flying as a hobby, gaining her Pilot's “A” Licence in July 1929. She also obtained a Ground Engineer's License. the first woman to do so.
Funded by her father and Lord Wakefield, she bought a de Havilland “Gypsy Moth”.
1930 She became the first woman pilot to fly solo from England to Australia, so winning the Harmon Trophy. She was awarded the CBE.
1931 She obtained a de Havilland 80 “Puss Moth”.
With co-pilot Jack Humphries she became the first to fly from London to Moscow in one day, approx. 1,760 miles in 21 hours.
They continued across Siberia and on to Tokyo, creating a record time from Britain to Japan.
1932 She married pilot Jim Mollison.
She proceeded to set a solo record for a flight from London to Cape Town, South Africa, breaking her husband’s record.
1933 Amy and Jim broke many records flying as a duo. 1933, nonstop South Wales to New York, USA. They were injured when crash landing in Connecticut, after running out of fuel. On recovering they were given a ticker tape parade down Wall Street.
1934 Record flight Britain to India.
1936 Amy’s last solo record breaking flight, regaining her own Britain to South Africa record.
1938 She divorced Morrison and reverted to her maiden name.
Service Record WW2
1940 Amy Johnson joined the newly formed Air Transport Auxiliary, transporting new planes around Britain. She rose to First Officer.
Jan 1941. Flying in adverse weather, she reportedly lost her way and ran out of fuel ( ATA pilots had no navigational aids, only maps). She bailed out as her aircraft crashed into the Thames Estuary. Unofficial reports stated that she had been hit by friendly fire after giving the wrong signals, but this was never verified. Her body was never found.
Memorial service St. Martin in the Fields.
She is commemorated on the Air Forces Memorial at Runnymede.
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Group Captain Reginald Charles Jordan. Lived at 'Chippins', Main Road, Lacey Green
Service Career
Joined the Royal Australian Air Force.
1941-1942 served in RAF Squadron 126 defending Malta
1943 Malta based, supporting Campaign in Italy.
Killed 1943. Commemorated on the Malta Memorial, panel S.
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Ivor William Kelloway, RAF. by Ian Kelloway, his son. Ivor and Joan Kelloway lived at “The Haven”, Main Road, Lacey Green, post WW2
Ivor Kelloway decided the RAF was the career for him, when aged 4, on holiday near the prime naval port of Portland, he witnessed an air battle when some Swordfish took on some German bombers.
1941, aged 16, he joined the Air Training Corps. A keen sportsman, he played cricket for Somerset and football for Yeovil, albeit because many of the first teams had been called up.
Military Career
Sept1943 Called up, (being a member of ATC). Ironically to report to Lords (the home of cricket in London. Training followed in a number of venues. One in East Anglia using F.I.D.O. in which fuel was set alight alongside the runways to disperse the fog. More training at 617 Squadron, (of dam busters fame), at that time hunting the German battleship “Tirpitz”.
Cranwell followed where he trained to be a navigator in Mosquitoes. One training flight ended up overshooting the runway and his back was hurt. It was the day of the RAF football cup, he was patched up and declared fit, but while heading in the winning goal the goalie knocked him flying. He came round in hospital, where he was kept for six weeks.
Back to Cranwell, where he was obliged to start again from scratch on a different course, this time for signalling. Next, Blackpool for a course on movement control. Late 1944. Posted to Bomber Command, Walters Ash, Ivor Kelloway was responsible for physical education and organizing fixtures for all types of sports and looking after the personal fixtures of all Bomber command aircrews.
Summer 1946. Spent flying to airfields that were closing down, removing any equipment worth keeping and playing cricket for the RAF at King George V Docks, Glasgow, to keep control of RAF equipment and also the kit of deceased airmen.
After V.E. Day. The RAF allowed the youths like Ivor to go one day a week to try out a civilian workplace. Having a friend at Mill End School, High Wycombe, Ivor went there.
March 1947. Posted to Swindon as R.T.O. (rail transport officer) to assist service personnel travelling by rail.
Ivor had applied for a place at St. Lukes College, Exeter for a two year course for teachers. The RAF agreed to his discharge and also agreed sponsorship for him.
Personal History
Spring 1945. Frank Chilton, stalwart of Lacey Green Sports Club, hearing there was a good cricketer at Bomber Command, cycled over to the base to invite him to come and play.
February 1947 (a winter of record snow) Ivor Kelloway, from Somerset, married Joan, the daughter of Frank and Elsie Chilton, of Lacey Green. Ivor never lost his enthusiasm for sport and was for many years a school headmaster in High Wycombe.
For more links in Ivor's history above --for Ian Kelloway click Ian & Sue Kelloway , for Lacey Green Sports Club click The Sports Club, for Frank and Elsie Chilton click Frank & Elsie Chilton
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Air Commodore David Frank Lawrence, CBE. Lived in Woodfield Road, Lacey Green.
Background. Qualifed Engineer following Apprenticeship
Service Career
1957 RAF National Service as Service Engineer Officer.
Basic Training for 3 months in Isle Of Man, then posted to RAF Wittering, National Service Commission in RAF Engineering Branch.
1957 (July) RAF Wittering, working on Valiant Bombers. Pilot Officer granted 3 year Short Service Commission.
1958 (Jan) Mechanical Transport Officer, RAF Cottesmore.
1958 (July) Mechanical Transport Office, RAF El Adem, Libya. Research Note Here David met Joy. (She worked as a civilian for the RAF, her father was serving there. They got engaged and married when they got back to England.)
Appointed Flight Lieutenant
1961 Armament Trials Officer, RAF Boscombe Down Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment.
a) Trials on the “Lightning” Fighter Aircraft (The “Lightning” was to become a major factor in David’s career).
b) As an urgency transferred to Electromagnetic Capability trials on range of RAF and Royal Navy Aircraft (Required some periods at sea aboard Aircraft Carriers)
Squadron Leader.
1966 Senior Engineering Officer, RAF Binbrook, Air Fighting Development Squadron (Lightning and Hunter aircraft).
Transferred as Officer Commanding Engineering Squadron.
May 1967 Senior Engineering Officer, RAF Wattisham, 111 Fighting Squadron (Lightning aircraft); an Operational Squadron tasked with Air Defence of the UK during the “Cold War” (a N.A.T.O. assigned squadron).
Mar 1970 Staff Officer. HQ Strike Command, Walters Ash, responsible for Lightening Aircraft, Mechanical Engineering.
Appointed Wing Commander.
1973 Officer Commanding Engineering Wing, 226 Operational Conversion Unit (training pilots for Lightning operations) Also responsible for the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (Air Displays) and re-equipping the station with Jaguar Aircraft.
1975 Staff Officer, HQ Strike Command, Walters Ash (Air Defence Mechanical Engineering).
Jan 1976 Awarded OBE (Order of the British Empire)
Appointed Group Captain.
1977 Staff Officer Engineering, (Lightnings, Phantoms, Ground Radar, Communications), RAF Bently Priory, HQ 11 Group.
1979 Station Commander, RAF Sealand, no 30 Maintenance Unit (“deep” servicing and repair of Avionic and Instruments for RAF and RN aircraft.)
1981 Ministry of Defence Procurement Executive, London. Responsible for engineering on all RAF Aircraft, other than new types being introduced. Working with British and American industry.
Appointed Air Commodore 1983 Staff Officer, RAF Bampton. HQ Support Command in charge of training for all ground trades, airmen and civilian.
1986 Staff Officer, RAF Bampton, HQ Support Command in charge of “deep” servicing of RAF aircraft and equipment.
1987 Awarded CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire).
1988 Staff Officer, HQ Strike Command, Walters Ash in charge of mechanical engineering.
Civilian life
On retiring from the RAF, David became the Senior Curator for 3 dimentionel objects (aircraft, uniforms, medals, vehicles, boats, weapons, etc) at the RAF Museum at Hendon.
1998 Retired from Hendon.
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Air Chief Marshall Sir Hugh Pughe LLoyd. Research by Lawrence Rostron,
The LLoyd's family home in WW2 was 'The Thatched House' Church Lane, Lacey Green.
Background
1915 Royal Engineer Sapper
1917 Royal Flying Corps (became Royal Air Force in 1918)
Jan 1918 Pilot no.52 Squadron. Reconnaissance / attack over France.
Sept 1918 Flight Commander no 52 Squadron
1924 Flight Commander no 16 Squadron
1939 Group Captain, Officer Commanding RAF Marham
WW2
1940 Senior Air Staff Officer, HQ no 2 Group 1941 Air Officer Commanding RAF Mediterranean/ Air HQ Malta
Jul 1942 Air Officer Commanding (Naval Co-Operation Group and Senior Air Staff Officer HQ Middle-East Command
Mar 1943 Air Officer Commanding North-West African Coastal Air.
Dec 1943 Air Officer Commanding, Mediterranean Allied Coastal Nov 1945 Commander Designate, Tiger Force (Heavy bombers against Japan). Research Note. Force never implemented after atomic bomb on Hiroshima ended war.
Post WW2
Dec 1945 Senior instructor, Imperial Defence College.
1949 Commander in Chief, Air Command Far East Air Force.
1950 Air Officer Commander in chief, Bomber Command, Walters Ash.
Retired 1953 .
Honours and Award
June 1918 Military Cross
Sept 1918 Croix De Guerre
Feb 1919 Distinguished Flying Cross
May 1936 Mentioned in Despatches
Sept 1941 made Commander of the British Empire (CBE)
Jan 1942 made Companion of the order of the Bath.
July 1942 made Knight of the British Empire (KBE)
1944 French Legion d'Honeur
1944 Legion of Merit, USA
June 1951 Upgraded to Knight Commander of the Bath
June 1953 Upgraded to Grand Knight Cross Order of the British Empire
Research note. It was reported that “Hugh Pughe LLoyd did not “abide by the book, and proved extremely successful during his tenure as AOC, Malta. He seemed to have an eye for selecting the right people. At one point he commissioned a Sergeant Pilot, who rose to become Air Marshall. He believed in improvisation and would support his subordinates to the hilt”.
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Brian Lunn. Lived at 'Chegwyn' Main Road, Lacey Green
Service Career
Brian Lunn, an accountant, joined the RAF in WW2.
It turned out that Brian was colour-blind. When it was realized his profession he was posted for the duration of the war into the pay masters office.
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Wing Commander Alan Oakshot. Lived in Naphill
Research Note Alan Oakshot is included here because it was he who suggested that the new Headquarters of RAF High Wycombe, Bomber Command should be built at Walters Ash, surrounded by the woods.
Service Career
Alan was awarded the DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross)
He died in July 1942 when he crashed in the sea during a raid over Germany.
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Andrew Oliver, RAF. Post war lived at White House Farm or Sunnybank, Highwood Bottom, Tor Cottage, Church Lane and Pondside Kiln Lane Lacey Green.
Pre WW2
Andrew Oliver worked for the firm of Walter Baker, High Wycombe, which, by 1939 had become an acknowledged leader in plywood and veneer products. Andrew was works manager.
RAF Service Career
1939. Drafted into the RAF and Posted to the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough to work on research. Just weeks later he was demobbed from the RAF with instructions to report directly to Lord Beaverbrook, the Minister of Aircraft Production WW2 Civilian Career
Andrew was called upon to establish premises for making plywood for the planes and gliders in High Wycombe, the specialist plywood manufacturer in East London having been bombed out. Specialist equipment, from across the country was put at his disposal.
Andrew also assisted directly in wooden aircraft development. He worked many hours at Salisbury Hall, developing the prototype De Haviland 98 Mosquito.
He was appointed by Air Chief Marshall "Bomber Harris", Commander-in-chief of Bomber Command, Walters Ash to inspect every wooden aircraft that crashed in Britain, to check if the timber or glues were a t fault. He flew from the grass runway on Stocken Farm, Lacey Green. (Built in order for Harris to get to Northalt to confer with President Eisenhower). The plane was kept in a guarded, “blister” hanger on the farm.
Post WW2.
Report by Rosemary Mortham, Andrew Oliver's daughter.
Keeping the factory running throughout the war had been very stressful. Additional girls had been sent to work there from the bombed London factory, not very happily. There were 3 shifts a day and Andrew had been there at the start of every one. He kept going throughout the war, but then had a nervous breakdown that kept him in hospital for several months. (In 2018 this would probably be more acceptably called a “stress disorder”.) He found the therapy involving farm pursuits beneficial and decided to move out to the country, moving to “Sunnybank”, now White House Farm, Lacey Green.
He went back the Baker’s factory at High Wycombe, now doing civilian work again. He retired in 1964.
PS by Joan West. He was a master-craftsman in marquetry, but “hid his light under a bushel” so to speak. Few would have seen the priceless antiques he repaired, even being sent from abroad. He made and gave to St. John’s Church, Lacey Green, the cross that is carried at the services. It is simple but beautiful.
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Warrant Office Chris Poole, RAF Police. Lives Main Road, Lacey Green
service Career
1978 Joined RAF. Basic Training RAF Swinderby, Driver Training RAF St Athen, Basic Police and Dog Handler Training RAF Newton.
Promoted Senior Aircraftsman
1980 RAF Laarbruch. Deployments to Berlin with various training areas.
Team Leader, Station Dog Demonstration Team. Member of RAF Germany Dog Team.
Winner of Dog Station Efficiencies. Took part in various dog trials.
Promoted Corporal
1983 RAF Honington. Initially on basic Police Duties before taking over as Manager of the Dog Section.
1986 RAF Newington. Instructor for initial training of dog handlers. Also trained dogs for new roles in area search, tracking, fire arms and explosive search.
1989 Moved over to be an instructor on initial police trade training. Carried out attachments for support of the Fire Service and the Prison Service.
Promoted Sergeant
1991 Attached to the Royal Military Police, Chichester to set up training for the newly founded Guard Service.
1993 Attached to the Ministry of Defence Police, MOD Wethersfield, involved with training of Military Guard Service supervisory grades and Ministry of Defence Police.
1997 Promoted Flight Sergeant
1997 HQ Air Command, Computer Security Specialist.
1999 Attached to Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE) on the Kosovo Verification Mission, to advise on Safe Routes, Liaison and Weapons Verification prior to the OSCE being evacuated.
2002 RAF Brampton. Computer Systems Accreditor, ensuring all measures met both ground and air platforms within his area of responsibility.
2003 Deployed to Quatar and Iraq as SNCO (Senior Non-Commissioned Office) in command of RAF Police, to set up initial RAF Police ops at Basrah.
2003 HQ Air Command. Computer Accreditor role.
2004 Promoted Warrant Officer
2005 Deployed to Basrah as Warrant Officer for Department of Border Enforcement Training Team with specific responsibility for ensuring all international measures or Aircraft Security were met to enable civilian flights to operate out of Basrah.
2010 Warrant Office, RAF Police 7 Squadron
2011 Joint Services Police Unit Squadron Warrant Officer, British Forces South Atlantic Isles.
2013 HQ Air Command. Security Advisor.
Research Note. Chris joined the RAF with the specific purpose of being a Dog Handler (for 10 years 1979-1989). He then took up basic Police duties specialising in training before becoming a Computer Security Specialist.
Actively involved in Sport and Adventure Training throughout his career, he led numerous multi-day expeditions, earned RAF Sports Colours for Orienteering and has completed a BA (Hons) and a MSc, thanks to the opportunities offered by the RAF.
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Harold Leonard 'Nibby' Rixon. Lived at Pond Cottage, Lacey Green.
1942 Joined the RAF, after service in the Princes Risborough Fire Brigade
Basic Training a RAF Cardington, Bedfordshire
He was too old to train for air crew (nearly 40). He was posted to a base near Yarmouth, then to RAF Harwell, finally to RAF Bomber Command at Walters Ash
the Headquarters of Bomber Command. He now found it difficult to maintain the fitness required in the service and spent the remainder of the war, working there on maintenance of buildings and the market garden that produced food for the base.
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First Office Freydis Sharland, Nee Leaf. ATA, RAF. Post war lived at 'Tylers Field', Little Wardrobes Lane, Loosley Row
Pre WW2
Freydis was born in Cambridge in 1920, the daughter of Catherine and Charles Leaf, a noted meteorologist and archaeologist, also Olympic yachting gold medelist, 1936. Both father and Freydis were fascinated with flying and so in 1937 both joined her brother learning to fly. All civilian flying ceased with the outbreak of WW2, 1939.
Service Career
1939 Volunteer in Military Hospital, Colchester. Applied for the Air Transport Auxiliary but her 4 hours, 40 minutes solo flying was not enough to qualify.
1942 Running out of people with more experience than her, she was at last given a flight test for the ATA, (established to deliver new planes to RAF bases across Britain and later also to mainland Europe and the Mediterranean, the pilots flying solo).
Feb 1943. Accepted into the Air Transport Auxiliary.
Training started on simple single engine planes, then single engine and twin engine fighters followed by heavier single and twin engine bombers eventually also 4 engine bombers.
No navigational aids were supplied, only maps, so clear weather and flying low was necessary in order to see the ground, looking for railway lines, lakes and other landmarks.
The planes were unarmed. They had no radio communication. The death rate was 1 in 10.
Freydis Leaf had started in the ATA having had a total of 26 hours, 10 minutes flying experience. When she left at the end of October 1945 she had flown 607 hours, 25 minutes. She had flown 38 different types of aircraft.
Freydis won her full RAF Wings but never took up her uniform. She continued her flying career as a freelance commercial pilot.
Post WW2
1953 she delivered to the Pakistan Air Force, a Hawker Tempest V (one of the biggest and fastest of the last generation of piston-engine RAF Fighters) The 4,000 mile solo journey involved 3 stops at Nicosia, Baghdad and Bahrain before reaching Karachi (On arrival, being a woman, she was denied access to the Officers Mess.)
Research Note. Although unlikely that they met in 1953, Air Vice Marshall William “Bill” Cannon, then Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Pakistan Air Force, may well have ordered the purchase of this plane. In the 1960’s both the Sharlands and the Cannons were living here in Loosley Row and Lacey Green.
1954 1st Female British Air Racing Champion, flying a 'Hawk Major'. Research Note. The annual Air Racing Championship consisted of 8 venues and 16 races, the planes being handicapped. It is cumulative, the maximum points for each race being 100 on a sliding scale.
1955 Freydis met and married Tim Sharland. They met on a liner when she was going to visit her brother in South Africa. They farmed for a few years in Northern Rhodesia before coming to Loosley Row to farm. She had a break from flying while they reared their family.
1955 Founder and first Chairman of the newly established British Women Pilots Association
Officer of Women's Junior Air Corps, Girls Venture Corps and on GVC Panel
1980 Retired. She then bought a microlight and carried on flying into her seventies.
Awarded
2008 Awarded, with other veterans the ATA Service Medal.
-- Vic Southon. Lived at Beggar's Roost, Foundry Lane, Loosley Row.
Vic joined the RAF in 1949. After basic training he trained as a radio technician.
1851 Officer training as a pilot at Cranwell, then posted to Egypt, flying fighter Gloster Meteors.
Several postings followed in the Cold War. UK postings flying Javelins, which had replaced the Meteor in 1956. He was posted to Bomber Squadron flying Vulcans, but his heart remained in Fighter Command.
Training on Bloodhound Missiles at RAF Scampton, may have decided Vic to leave the RAF in order to be able to continue "hands-on" flying - his great love.
Post RAF. In 1967 having obtained his Airline Transport Pilots' License he joined British Airways, flying Boeing 707s, VC10s and 747s worldwide. Having to retire at 55 he then became one of Richard Branson's original pilots for Virgin Atlantic, until his retirement.
Vic died in December 2017 aged 88.
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John Timothy "Timmy" Tempest. Lived at Virginia Cottage, Main Road, Lacey Green.
Timmy joined the RAF Voluntry Reserve. After basic training he became a flying officer. In WW2 he was a navigator in bombers over France.
In 1943 WW2. Based Nr. Misrata, North-West Libya (recently taken from the Italians). Timmy was Navigator in a crew of seven, under Pilot Micky Vertigan when an accident occurred - - -
Rearcher’s Notes from the book ‘Down in the Drink’. On a night bombing mission to cut off roads converging on Tunis in, order to finally push the German Afrika Korps out of Africa, they took off from Misrata, in a Halifax. A “freakishly” hot air temperature, caused the 4 engines to fail, one by one. They put down in the Mediterranean, where they escaped into their dinghy, Timmy Tempest only able to estimate their position. They drifted ashore on the eleventh morning onto a desolate coast, weak from lack of water and food and very sunburnt. They were rescued by local, (friendly) Arabs.
Timmy awarded the DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross).
The photographs are from the Imperial War Museum
Top Photo. Vertican and his crew on survivors' leave in Cairo, May 1943
L to R. Warrant Officer Vertican, Flight Sergeant Curnow, Sergeant Smith, Sergeant Ward, Flying Officer Tempest, Sergeant Allard and Sergeant Gordon
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Douglas Tilbury. Lived at Parslows Hillock Cottages no 2
1952 - 1954 National Service in the RAF.
Served on 56 Squadron Fighter Command, fitting. refuelling and servicing the engines on the Meteor Mk 8. The Gloster Meteor was the first operational jet fighter. It went on to become a Fighter Bomber and Reconnaissance Fighter.
click Doug Tilbury for Doug's life story.
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Group Captain Barry J Titchen. Lived on Main Road, Lacey Green
Service Career
1965 Joined RAF training as a Navigator
Flying Appointments :
On loan to the Royal Navy, flying Buccaneer S Mk 1 & 2 aircraft - Carrier, Strike/Attack roles.
A short tour flying Canberra aircraft.
4 tours in Strike/Attack/Reconnaissance roles.
2 tours in Air Defence, flying Phantom FGR 2 aircraft.
1988-90 Officer Commanding 56F Squadron, RAF Wattisham.
1994 Short Conversion Course on the Tornado F3.
1994 (May- Nov). Gioia Del Colle, Italian Air Force Base, RAF Detachment Commander.
Training, RAF Staff College, Bracknell.
Training, RAF Air Warfare Centre, Cranwell.
Staff Appointments
Department of Air Warfare, RAF Cranwell
HQ RAF Strike Command, Walters Ash
Ministry of Defence, London, Directorate of Air Force Plans and Programmes in UK.
RAF Bently Priory. HQ 11/18 Group
1995-97 Officer Commanding, RAF Neatishead (UK Control and Reporting Centre).
1998-2000 Appointed Chief of Staff, Director of Operations at NATO, Combined Air Operations Centre, 2, Kalkar, Germany.